“Land belongs to three groups of people: those who have died [they preserved it for us], those who are living today [and rely on the land], and those who are not yet born [it must be kept for the future].” – Professor Mamadou Goïta
“Soil is spiritual, and land is not only about economics. When understanding land through the soil, it balances its economic and ecological value.” – Nelga short course participant Shumirai Guzha, Agricultural Economist, Zimbabwe
Seventy-five land professionals from around the African continent took part in the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies’ sixth Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa short course this July. The short course has been accredited by the University of the Western Cape since 2018 and has awarded certificates of competence to 260 land professionals in 38 countries.
Profs Moenieba Isaacs and Ruth Hall oversee the content, curricula, selections and form part of the lecture team of experts.
This year we received 630 applications from across 41 African countries. Through a competitive and rigorous process, 94 participants were selected to partake in the short course, 75 of which attended the course. Forty-nine percent of participants were women. The programme featured professionals from academia (19%), civil society (29%), government (29%) and the private sector (23%). The comprehensive five-day programme included knowledge sharing on customary and statutory land tenure in Africa, urban and rural land administration, global policy, women’s land rights, as well as the climate crisis and what it means for land governance in Africa. Between 22 July and 26 July 2024, participants spent six hours online everyday learning from 18 specialist lecturers and facilitators.
The short course is funded by the by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbelt (GIZ) GmbH, in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Land Policy Centre and the Strengthening Advisory Capacities for Land Governance in Africa’s Network of Excellence in Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) initiative
Leading experts in African land and natural resource governance presented and lectured during the course, include Prof Kojo Amanor, Prof Mamdou Goïta, Prof Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Prof Yasmine Moataz Ahmed, Dr Emmanuel Sulle, Prof Issa Shivji, Dr James Murombedzi, Dr Boaventura Monjane, Prof Andries du Toit, Ms Eileen Wakesho, and Ms Stha Yeni. Several working groups, named after African idols, are facilitated by leading young African scholars from the continent such as Dr Freedom Mawzi, Dr Adwoa Gyapong, Dr Theresa Auma, Ms Eileen Wakesho; as well as PLAAS PhD candidates Ms Stha Yeni, Mr Augustine Fosu, and Ms Charity Rusere.
Myths about Africa were dispelled by lecturers, including the notions that African farming is archaic, that there is an abundance of land available on the continent, and that land registration is automatically a positive change for people and policy. Most people agreed that land rights and issues needed to be championed continuously in communities.
“To raise awareness about land rights and issues, we need to be using language that people at a local level can understand,” said Linda Ruben, a Geospatial Technician for the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform of Namibia.
Paramount Chief of the Madi tribe and Chairman General of the Forum of African Traditional Authorities, His Royal Highness Drani Stephen Izakare, reminded participants to keep a decolonised mindset. He pushed those present to ensure women especially are given the space they need to continue working on the land. He also warned participants that the scramble for land in Africa continues decades after the first instances of colonial land grabs.
“There are two types of Africa – one is male and one is female – and they have equal rights over these lands,” he said.
HRH also warned against land grabbing from others seeking arable land.
“Western countries are preparing for the continent with things such as soil mapping. Sixty percent of fertile land in the world is on this continent. This mapping is opening the door to the issue of soil activity… It’s a double-edged sword,” he said.
Professor Patricia Kameri-Mbote said land was at the soul of communities, particularly for people in rural areas. Although every country – and to some extent various groups in each country – think our land issues are different, they all come from the same colonial stork.
Owen Dhliwayo, an advocacy and community officer working on land rights and social justice causes in Zimbabwe, was grateful for these perspectives.
“In my work, I have come to the realisation that communities tend to have territorial spirituality that cultivates a sense of responsibility towards a specific area in Chipinge district, Zimbabwe, thereby recognising the sacredness and uniqueness of their locality. This has created the basis of their resistance against eviction.”
In her closing remarks, Dr Joan Kagwanja, Chief of the African Land Policy Centre – an initiative of the African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank – highlighted the short course’s impact on the continent’s decision makers.
“I will always show up for this meeting because this course is one of the key success stories coming out of the work we’ve done over the last eight years. The large, diverse group of participants and stakeholders is beyond what we envisioned. We are happy to see representation from government, civil society, the private sector, and we hope to keep people in land governance so they can earn a living from it.”
Read more about our lecturers, facilitators and participants here.
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